Natural Sleep Remedies

Next time you find yourself tossing and turning, try these natural sleep remedies.

Warm Spiced Milk

1 cup warm milk (cow, almond or rice)

1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom

Mix all ingredients in a mug and drink one hour before bed.

Nutmeg is one of the best herbs for calming the mind. Cardamom is soothing to the nervous system and reduces mucous forming qualities of the milk.

Foot Massage

Right before you snuggle into your blankets, massage sesame oil (not the kind you cook with) on to the bottom of your feet and put some socks on.

Nasal Oil Drops

I know!! It sounds weird, but I swear by this one. Place a couple drops of sesame oil in each nostril. Tip your head back and take a few quick sniffs in to make sure the oil gets in there.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Here is a little video I made with instructions. Even just a few minutes of this breath practice can be extremely calming.

Relaxing Yoga Poses

These are a few of my favorite sleepy time poses. Make sure you are feeling relaxed and completely comfortable in each posture. These poses should feel effortless with not a lot of stretching going on. Relax your mind by focusing on your breath. Try staying in each pose for 3-10 minutes.

Childs Pose with Pillows

From hands and knees shift hips back and sit on heels. Open up knees just enough to place a pillow or two between thighs. Bow forward hugging pillow, turning head to one side.

Supported Seated Forward Bend

Sit on a pillow facing a chair, open legs wide enough where you can comfortably straddle the legs of the chair. Feel free to bend knees or sit cross legged if this makes the posture more comfortable. Place a pillow or two on the seat of the chair and release forehead onto the pillows.

Supported Inversion

Sitting down, scoot one of your hips toward the base of a chair. (You can also use a couch or the end of your bed.) Swing legs up onto to seat of the chair with knees bent. Separate the legs about hip width and place an eye pillow or drape a piece of cloth over the eyes. For a little extra support, place a pillow under the calves on the seat of the chair and another under your hips.

Herbs

Here are a few herbal supplements that support sleep.

Chamomile

Gotu Kola

Ashwagandha

Essential Oils

Lavender

Sandalwood

Place a few drops of oil on a tissue, lay in bed, close eyes and take some deep breaths through the tissue.